Mazda's 626 MPS Could've Been Its Answer to the WRX STI and Lancer Evo

The closest Mazda ever got to a Subaru STI or Mitsubishi Evo competitor was the Mazdaspeed 6, a turbo all-wheel-drive sedan that was much mellower than its rivals. But an old Mazda concept shows it nearly joined the fray of wild, winged, World Rally Championship ready-looking sports sedans with the never-produced 626 MPS.

The Mazda 626 MPS, standing for Mazda Performance Series, debuted in 2000 at the Geneva Motor Show as "a test-bed for sports tuning parts and to assess its production feasibility." Developed by Mazdaspeed (RIP), the 626 MPS was closer to a Legacy GT or Galant VR-4 than it was an STI or Evo, as it was based on a midsize sedan rather than a compact. In fact, it even used a surprisingly similar engine to that of the Galant and Legnum VR-4: a 2.5-liter, twin-turbo V6.

Derived from the variable-intake 2.5-liter in the regular 626, this engine was unique to the MPS concept. It had a big front-mounted intercooler, enlarged radiator and oil cooler, and a lightweight flywheel with an uprated clutch. It needed those because of its output of 276 horsepower and 289 lb-ft of torque, which it sent through a five-speed manual to full-time all-wheel drive.